Louvered ceiling construction



June 7, 1960 A. E. ZINGONE LOUVERED CEILING CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 9.1957 N N M NN w w W 2 Sheets-Sheet l June 7, 1960 A. E; zlNGoNE LouvEREDCEILINC CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 9, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY M, W

United StatesPatent O F LOUVERED CEILING CONSTRUCTIGN Anthony E.Zingone, Massapequa, N.Y., assignor to Neo- Ray Products, Inc., NewYork, N.Y., a corporation of t New York Filed Aug. 9, 1957, Ser. No.677,336

3 Claims. (Cl. 181-33) This invention relates to a louvered ceilingconstruction. An object of the invention is to provide a louveredvceiling constructionV which presents an unbroken louvered connect thelouver units at each side for facilitating the cleaning of the units andfor gaining access to the illuminating mounting means and lamps.

Still another object of the invention isto provide panelp ing arrangedabove the louvered ceiling construction for absorbing and deadening thesound waves passing through the louver units to thereby reduce noise inthe room below the louvered construction.

Stillv another object of the invention is to provide an improvedlouvered ceiling construction composed of parts which may beprefabricated so as to facilitate the erection and installation thereof.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, reference is now made tothe following speciiications and accompanying drawings in which thepreferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.

-In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a fragmentary position of alouveredrceiling construction embodying the invention.

Fig; 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken approximately online 2-2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3' is a sectional view taken approximately on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 isan enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the louver unitssupporting construction.

Fig.5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the lower end of one of theside walls of the upright members.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken approximately on-line6-7-6fofFig. 2. j l

vRef'erring to the drawings, vthe-.louvered ceiling constructionprovides an unbroken louvered pattern extending throughout the entirearea below a ceiling. The louvered construction includes louver units 10arranged in parallel rows with the louvers in each row being disposed inaligned relation. The units are constructed and arranged so that thesame may be prefabricated to facilitate the .installation thereof. Eachof the units 10 consists of a plurality of vertically disposedlongitudinally extending rows of transversely spaced plates 11 which areinteriitted with a plurality of vertically disposed, trans- 2,939,543`Patented June 7, 1960 plates 11 are formed with longitudinally spacedslots 14,

which open through the lower edges thereof and extend inwardly toapproximately the centers of the plates respectively. The transverselyextending plates 12 are provided With longitudinally spaced slots 15,which open through the upper edges thereof and extend inwardly toapproximately the centers of said plates respectively. Thelongitudinally and transversely extending plates are interitted todispose the slots 14 in engagement with the portions of the transverseextending plates below the slots 15 and the slots 15 in the transverseextending plates are in engagement with the portions of thelongitudinally extending plates 11 above the slots 14 therein. Theplates are secured together at their intersections and thereby connectall the plates together in unit formation.

The louver units 10 are supported below theceiling of a room by means ofstructural framework 17 so as to provide a space above the units forilluminating means d8. The -said framework includes a plurality ofspaced parallel channel members 21 which extend transversely from oneside of the room to the other and are suspended in spaced relation fromthel ceiling by hanger rods 22 depending from brackets 23 affixed to theceiling with the lower ends of the hanger rods engaging throughapertures in the opposite sides of U-shaped clips 24. The clips engageabout the channel members with the protruding ends of the hanger rodsengaged by wing nuts 25 for adjusting the elevation of the channelmembers. Supported by each of the channel members 21 at longitudinallyspaced locations are upright members 26. Each of the upright members 26is formed of a strip of flat sheet metal which is bent to provide an endwall 27 and oppositely disposed side walls 28 having outwardly directedhooked lower ends 29. I'he upright members are arranged in rows on thechannel members 21 with the lower hooked ends thereof located aboveconfronting sides of adjacent rows of louver units 10. Supported on thehooked lower ends of each row of the channel members are mating plates30 and 31, which extend longitudinally between adjacent rows of louverunits 10 and against which the ends of the plates 12 of the louver unitsabut.

The upright members 26 are aixed to the channel shaped members 21 bymeans of bolts 32 which extend through the end =walls -27 of saidupright ymembers and through apertures in opposite sides of U-shapedclips 33 engaging about the channel shaped members. The plates 30 and 31are for-med with back to backv planar lower portions 34 and withdiverging upper portions 35 which are provided with inwardly directedhooked terminals 36. The terminals 36 engage the hooked terminals 29 tothereby support the plates 30 and 31 in depending relation on theupright members 26. The plates 30 and 3'1v are secured together and areprovided with vertically disposed slots 37 located in longitudinallyspaced relation for receiving the upper ends of latch members 38connected to the endmost plate 12 of each of the louver units 10 onpivot pins 39 for supporting the rows of louver units between spacedsets of plates 30 Aand 31'; This permits of the swinging of the louverunits 10 on the pivot pins 39 at either side of the units into dependingrelation for gaining access to the illuminating means 18 or to clean theunits. The units may also be readily hooked to the supporting plates 30and 31 or released therefrom.

'Ihe upright members 26, together with the plates 30 and 31, constitutea support for paneling 42, which extends between the side walls 28 ofeach row thereof, with the lower end of the paneling supported upon thediverging portions 35 of the said plates 30 and 31. The paneling beingsupported, as aforesaid, by each row of upright members provideslongitudinally extending spaces above the rows of louver units with theilluminating means 18 3 extending longitudinally of and medially abovethe rows respectively. The paneling 42 is made of Fiberglas enclosed inwhite plastic envelopes 43 and provides acoustical noise batlles, whichreduce the noises passing through the louver units. This is effected bythe sound waves striking the surface of the paneling or baffles beingtransmitted by diaphragmatic action of the plastic envelopes to theFiberglas, whereby most of the energy of the sound waves is absorbed.The plastic envelope permits of the washing or the surfaces of thepaneling for removing dust which may accumulate thereon.

The side walls 28 of the upright members 26 have outstruck tongues '45which are cut from the body thereof and bent outwardly into overlyingrelation with the hooked terminals 36 to thereby retain the plates 30and 31 in sup ported relation on the upright members 26,

The illuminating means 18 may be of any preferred type and asillustrated the same consists of fluorescent lamps 46 supported by anddepending from housings 47 extending longitudinally of each row oflouver units and supported by the channel members 21. This posi tionsthe lamps 46 in spaced relation above the louver units lo whereby thelight rays therefrom are directed downwardly through the cells f13.

It would be understood that the framework supporb ing the louver units11i) may extend from one side of the room to the other and from one endthereof to the other to support a plurality of rows of louver units `10which presents an unbroken louver pattern in all directions over theentire ceiling. Furthermore, Kall the parts of the framework and thelouvers may be prefabricated and oonveniently assembled and erected.

While the preferred form of invention is shown and described herein, itis understood that the same is not so limited but shall cover andinclude any and all moditications of the invention which fall within thepurview of the claims.

What is claimed is:

l. In a louvered ceiling construction, parallel rows of louver unitsarranged with a plurality of louver units in each row disposed inaligned relation, each of said louver units Consisting of verticallydisposed longitudinally and transversely arranged rows of intersectedplates providing longitudinally and transversely disposed rows of cellsopening through the top and bottom of the unit, means for supportingsaid rows of louver units below lthe ceiling of a room consisting ofspaced parallel upper frame members, hanger bars aiiixed to the ceilingand to said upper frame members, a plurality of upright members arrangedin rows and depending from said upper frame members, each of saidupright members including spaced parallel side plates having hookedlower ends, lower frame members extending longitudinally of the parallelrows of louver units respectively, each of said lower frame membersincluding two plates having parallel longitudinal extending lowerportions disposed in side by side engagement `and having outwardlydiverging longitudinally extending upper portions provided with inwardlydirected hooked terminals disposed in engagement with the hooked lowerends of the said upright members, and means car ried by said louverunits engaging said lower frame members for supporting said louver unitsin planar relation.

2. In a louvered ceiling construction, parallel rows of louver unitsarranged with a plurality of louver units in each row disposed inaligned relation, each of said louver units consisting of verticallydisposed longitudinally and transversely arranged rows of intersectedplates providing longitudinally and tranversely disposed rows of cellsopening through the top and bottom of the unit, means for supportingsaid rows of louver units below the ceiling of a room consisting ofspaced parallel upper frame members, hanger bars afixed to the ceilingand to said frame members, a plurality of upright members arranged inrows and depending from said frame members, each of said upright membersincluding spaced parallel side plates having hooked lower ends, lowerframe members extending longitudinally of the parallel rows of louverunits re spectively and having hooked upper ends engaging the hookedlower ends of said upright members, means carried by said louver unitsengaging said lower frame members for supporting said louver units inplanar relation, and paneling extending between the side plates of eachrow of upright members and supported upon the lower frame members tothereby subdivide the space above the louvered ceiling construction, andsaid paneling providing acoustical noise baies for deadening the soundwaves passing through the louver units to reduce noise in the room belowthe louvered ceiling construction.

3. In a louvered ceiling construction, parallel rows of louver unitsarranged with a plurality of louver units contained in each row anddisposed in yaligned relation, each of said louver units consisting ofintersecting plates providing rows of cells opening through the top andbottom of the unit, means for supporting said rows of louver units belowthe ceiling of a room including spaced parallel upper frame members,means aixed to the ceiling and to said frame members, for supporting thesame, a plurality of upright members arranged in rows and secured tosaid frame members in depending relation, each of said upright membersincluding spaced parallel side plates, lower frame members extendinglongitudinally of the parallel rows of louver units respectively andeach having diverging upper side portions axed to the lower ends of theside plates of the upright members, means carried by said louver unitsengaging said lower frame members for supporting said louver units inplanar relation, and paneling extending between the side plates of eachrow of upright members and supported upon the divergiug side portions ofsaid lower frame members to thereby subdivide the space above the louverunits, and said paneling providing acoustical noise bacles for deadeningthe sound waves passing through the louver units to reduce noise in theroom below the louvered ceiling construction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,962,648 Pllueger June l2, 1934 2,646,498 Marchisio July 21, 19532,655,348 Siering Oct. 13, 1953 2,659,807 Wakefield Nov. 17, 19532,680,502 Kurtzon June 8, 1954 2,698,071 Lee Dec. 28, 1954 2,734,126Kruger Feb. 7, 1956

